2012 ELECTIONS: China must respect wishes of Taiwanese voters: DPP

HANDS OFF:A DPP official said that only if China really listened to Taiwanese could the two sides establish a long-term stable foundation for cross-strait engagement

By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday called on Beijing to respect Taiwan’s democracy and people’s freedom of choice, and refrain from seeking to influence Taiwan’s elections, in the wake of recent comments made by high-ranking Chinese officials.

Chinese National Committee of the People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Jia Qinglin (賈慶林) said on Friday that the (so-called) “1992 consensus” was the foundation of cross-strait negotiations.

If that consensus was not recognized, negotiations would come to a halt and agreements already signed could not be implemented, he said, adding that the result would be renewed cross-strait instability that could adversely impact the interests of people in both Taiwan and China.

Jia reiterated that all topics could be discussed under the “one China” principle and the desire of Taiwanese for greater international participation could be “reasonably accommodated” through negotiations.

“The DPP calls on Beijing to listen to the voice of Taiwanese carefully, because it is only by doing so that we can establish a long-term and stable foundation for cross-strait engagement,” DPP spokesperson Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.

Jia described the “1992 consensus” as an understanding reached in 1992 that “both sides could orally interpret its insistence on the one China principle,” Chen said.

Jia’s comments about the consensus differ considerably from those of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who maintains that the consensus allows “one China, different interpretations,” Chen said.

In addition, Taiwanese were far from happy with the “arrangements” Beijing made for Taiwan’s participation in international events in recent years, as they have tended to list Taiwan as a province of China, Chen said.

“These arrangements prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ma’s ‘flexible diplomacy’ and faith in the so called ‘1992 consensus’ have achieved nothing of substance,” he added.